Last night was Brady’s “orphan” Christmas party (a recurring theme at Disney where all heroes are orphans and Cast Members work through the holidays regardless of religion view or family obligation), and it was off the charts. We were instructed to dress as our fav’rite orphan – step aside Annie and Webster. Make way for Esther and Harry Potter!

I chose Bruce Wayne, a controversial decision since technically Batman is part of the Universal family, but everybody was so punch drunk/pill giddy/ old-fashioned inebriated that they wouldn’t have cared if I came as Walt’s warm corpse.

In 1973, Disney produced an educational film about STDs. Called VD Attack Plan, it featured a sinister general leading his troops, Gonorrhea and Syphilis into battle against Mankind. This short film was ahead of its time, recognizing the role of condoms, birth control pills and same sex unions. Wade Sampson from Mouse Planet has put together an exhaustive report here.

Maybe I wear too much black. Maybe I sketch too many skulls or obsess over E.A. Poe and Morrissey. Or maybe I'm just in a spiritual cul-de-sac right now, looking for double chocolate relevance in a vanilla circumstance.

Fantasia, created in 1940 is arguably Disney's most powerful work of art. State of the art animation set to classical compositions performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Leopold Stokowski. Every time it's remastered and released, I marvel at the simple beauty. But there's a dark secret as well.